Who: Fitz P & Tony W; and quick text with one Alex V What: Just two guys chatting... no fighting... nope... When: Monday, April 8th 2019 | Mid-Morning Where: Brightstar Reserve Gift Shop Warnings: some bad words might be said? And might be a tiny bit of violence...
After an eventful week, and an altogether far more enjoyable weekend, working in the gift shop just seemed... boring. Which honestly wasn't much of a change from how it was usually since its busiest times were when tour groups and such were coming through. Plus given the reprimand from the higher ups he hadn't even been tempted to alleviate the boredom by making any of the toys dance. As it was he'd been extremely lucky and if it hadn't been for Director Constantine he'd've been out of a job entirely, and certainly wouldn't have been allowed to work at the reserve ever again.
Fitz shook his head, and turned to more pleasing thoughts like Alex and the past weekend as he played around on his phone. There was also the fact that in two weeks time Alex would be visiting Snowcap. So, even with the not-so-great news he'd found out, and the niggling detail that at least one of his bandmates didn't trust him on principle, the weekend had been amazing. And he'd really enjoyed spending time with Alex and getting to know him more.
Distracted as he was, Fitz didn't even hear the chime of the charmed bells above the shop's door or take notice that anyone had even entered.
Coincidentally, Tony was playing hooky from work (just a little bit) specifically to find out about Fitz's weekend in San Diego, since Fitz hadn't responded to his Wizgram comments and he was beyond curious how everything had gone with Alex. It was still hilarious to him that one of his oldest friends had started dating his ex without even knowing it, and he was proud of being responsible for convincing Fitz to text him back and putting this whole thing in motion.
He came right up to the gift shop counter and leaned his elbows on it, grinning at Fitz. "Hey, man. Whatcha doing?"
Fitz jumped but managed to save himself from falling out of his chair at the last second. He'd been hoping to maybe to least avoid having to see or talk to Tony for at least a day but the universe seem to have other ideas. Sure, he'd promised Alex that he wasn't going to fight Tony, and he was going to stick to his promise but that didn't stop him from still wanting to maybe hit him or yell 'what the fuck?' at him... or something.
He shrugged his shoulders. "Working?"
"Ugh," said Tony to that whole concept. "That sounds boring. Hey, so, I saw your photos on Wizgram from this weekend. San Diego's as great as I told you, huh?" He grinned over at him, cupping his hands and resting his chin in them expectantly. "So tell me about it. What did you guys do, how did you get along, are you gonna see him again?"
"Mhmm," he murmured in agreement. Work definitely wasn't an exciting prospect, and he'd have to lay low with it a while longer if he wasn't going to get into working with the reserve proper; it was unlikely he'd be recommended for anything now. Fitz eyed Tony warily. It was hard trying not to even be a little mad at him, and sure it wasn't his fight at all but seriously what he'd done was - friend or not, it made him want to slap his oldest friend. "Yeah, it's pretty alright," he admitted. "It was good, and probably."
"What? Good, and probably, and that's all you have to say about Alex Vasquez?" Tony raised his eyebrows at Fitz, skeptically. "Come on, man, what's wrong? Did you not get along? I totally thought you two had a little, y'know, spark. And your 'gram looked like you were having a great time."
"Nothing's wrong," he bit out. Fitz sighed. He knew Tony was only meaning well, and genuinely interested in how things went. "We got along really well, okay? Can't say that same for me and one of his bandmates but hey turns out the guy has a pretty damned good reason for that."
Tony winced dramatically. "Oh, you met Olly, huh? He never liked me, either. I liked to think I was kind of winning him over for a while there, but probably not." He shifted to sit on the edge of the counter, one long leg tucked under him so he could still face Fitz. "I always sort of thought he had a thing for Alex and he was jealous or something. But I mean, who wouldn't have a thing for Alex, right? He's great." He grinned at Fitz. "So why aren't you sounding as happy as you should be, for somebody who just had a nice weekend with a great guy in a beautiful city?"
Fitz snorted. "Pretty sure it had absolutely nothing to do with jealousy whatsoever." Well, he was like ninety-nine point nine percent sure it had nothing to do with jealousy - so y'know close enough. "Alex is pretty amazing. And I am happy, it really was a great weekend getting to see both Alex and San Diego. If I don't sound like it, that might just have a tiny little bit to do with... oh, I don't know, why it was you and Alex 'broke up'." He said with air-quotes before giving Tony a glowering look as if to dare him into trying to say otherwise.
"How we broke up? What?" Tony said, wrinkling up his forehead in confusion. He actually had to think about it for a moment before he remembered. "Ohh. Right, yeah. Alex told you about that girl? That was pretty dumb of me, huh." He ran a hand through his hair, messing up his carefully-tousled look. "Look, it wasn't anything. I was chatting at the bar while the band was playing, and this girl came on to me, and she was really hot, and it just sort of happened. I didn't sleep with her or anything," he added, like that made it better. "We just made out."
"No, Olly did - who has also pretty much decided to not trust me cause you and me happen to be friends," he answered. Fitz gave Tony a look that pretty much said dumb was an understatement. "The words monumentally stupid come to mind." He looked at his friend in disbelief, and just couldn't believe that he'd try to pass it off as if it was nothing. "It wasn't... seriously, dude?! You made out with some girl practically right in front of him when you could've just as easily told her no or... pretty much anything else - no matter how hot she was or not."
Fitz took a breath, and mentally counted back from ten in Greek trying to remember he'd made a promise.
Tony held up his hands in front of him placatingly. "I know, I know. It was stupid, I didn't think. He was pretty mad, but I apologized, and after a while he got over it. And we're still friends!" He smiled hopefully at Fitz. "Don't be mad at me, man, it was a long time ago. And hey, it all worked out for the best, right? Now you're with him, and you guys are both great, and I'm pumped about that."
"I know!" He paused a second trying to tamp down on his temper. "I know it was a long time ago okay, and I am really really trying not to be mad at you because it's really nothing to do with me but... I just... Alex is a great guy and I like him, and I just... I can't fucking believe you'd do something like that to him even if it was forever ago."
Fitz got up from his chair. He needed fresh air, or at least something other than this. Except a split second after that thought occurred so to did the one where he was still supposed to be working, and so he settled for heading towards the back storage room without so much as even waving bye to Tony.
Tony frowned, cocking his head at Fitz, and jumped down from the counter to follow him. "Hey, wait a minute," he said, and reached out to touch his shoulder to try to stop him. "It's not like I--"
Fitz had been counting in Greek, and then Portuguese, and French, and... basically any language he knew in an effort to distract himself, all the while clenching and unclenching his fists trying to stave it all off, as he tried to clear his head. It wasn't working in the slightest. Though it did have him distracted enough that he wasn't even thinking that Tony would follow him. If he'd been more in a right frame of mind he might not have done what he did the second he felt a hand on his shoulder.
The next thing he knew he was swinging his arm up and around with his fist swift and harshly connecting with Tony's jaw. Fitz was stepping back as he cursed under his breath, and started to pace. "I... fuck... damnit, Tony... I... fuck, I just broke my fucking promise," he muttered more to himself. Fitz glanced back at Tony, and frowned. Whether he wanted to or not he hadn't meant to punch his friend, and if he was going to act on that impulse he would've done like he'd told Alex and just hit him in the shoulder. "Tony... I... fuck... I'm sorry..."
Tony could count the number of times he'd been punched in his life on one hand. Even as kids, roughhousing like boys did, he and Fitz had never really fought like that. Argued a lot, yeah, collected bumps and bruises from wrestling, sure, but they'd never hit each other. He was in no way prepared for that sock to his jaw, and he stumbled backward, just catching himself on the counter before he went down. He stared at Fitz, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, the shock of it catching him harder than the pain of the punch itself.
He straightened up, lifting a hand to his face as the pain blossomed in his jaw and lip. "Uh," he said blankly. "Wh… I..." He glanced down at his hand, which came away streaked with blood from a little split in his lip. "I'm just gonna…" Tony jerked his thumb at the door. "Yeah." He turned to go, still in shock.
By the time he'd changed his mind about stopping Tony from leaving he was already out the door and the words died in his throat. If ever he'd gotten angry in the past the worst he'd ever done was yell or shout or argue. He'd never, not once, lost his temper to the point of actually hitting someone.
Fitz paced about a moment before taking his wand out and locking the door before flipping the sign on it to closed. Going into the storage room he sighed as he slumped down against the nearest wall. Taking out his phone he sent off a text to Alex - the start of one of two apologies he owed.
Um... so... I'm an idiot who just broke his promise to you.
Good morning to you too! 😉 What promise was that?
Sorry... Good morning. Though I think yours might be going better than mine right now.
That one where I promised I wouldn't get into a fight with Tony?
Okay. What happened? Are you okay?
He just came in asking about how the weekend went, and... I don't know, I was hoping not to actually see him for a bit. I got up and went to leave so that I wouldn't say something I'd regret
and I hit him. Pretty solidly too. In the jaw. He didn't hit me back or anything, and I'm fine. But he's - I don't know, and I didn't stop him from leaving until he was already gone.
I didn't mean to, Alex. I was thinking it, sure, but I... god, I swear I didn't want to.
But you did. And that's exactly what I asked you not to do, and it's not okay.
I've been with guys who let their tempers get the better of them and it never ends well, and I don't want to do that again. I don't know, Fitz, I have to think about this.
I'm sorry, Alex. I am so sorry!
I can't say it's okay, but I'm glad you're not hurt.